ScHoolboy Q: “Blankface LP” Album Review

It’s been a minute, but after 2 1/2 long years ScHoolboy Q finally dropped his long awaited sophomore studio album ‘Blank Face LP’. This time around Q brings a distinctly more West Coast oriented vibe to the table, conversely accompanied by a much darker & aggressive sound, tone & execution than previously displayed on its predecessor ‘Oxymoron’. While there are noticeably less tracks on this release crafted for club & radio rotation, sonically & thematically the album is probably ScHoolboy Q’s most cohesive release yet. Fans of Q’s energetic demeanor & aggressive vocal delivery will be pleased with the album’s execution & his growth as an emcee. In an era oversaturated with pseudo wannabe R&B singers fronting as rappers & watered down commercial entertainers ScHoolboy Q manages to bring a certain level of grit, grime & ruggedness seldom seen anymore in the modern realm of mainstream Hip-Hop releases. ‘Blank Face LP’ proves that ScHoolboy Q is not only willing to push the boundaries of his own craft, but further proof that Top Dawg Entertainment is still a musical force to be reckoned with & a competitive label still producing some of the highest quality Hip-Hop artist on the mainstream side of the industry today. ScHoolboy Q has engineered his own lane for himself, differentiating his career from Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, Jay Rock & the rest of his TDE label mates. At a point in time where I find myself purchasing less & less mainstream Hip-Hop albums ‘Blank Face LP’ is a rare gratifying bright spot, an album that does not disappoint & no doubt a contender for one of the best Hip-Hop albums of 2016 from a mainstream artist. Go out & support good music & real Hip-Hop today!